David & Janet Polak Foundation
ActivePhilanthropy & VoluntarismMakes PRIsFunds Individuals
Wilmington, DEWebsite
About David & Janet Polak Foundation
The David & Janet Polak Foundation directs its philanthropic dollars narrowly toward higher-education and research initiatives, with a particular interest in Israeli university-led technology projects. All recorded giving supports Americans for Ben-Gurion University to back an AI resilience laboratory, indicating a preference for funding advanced STEM research and institutional program development rather than broad-based charities.
Focus Areas
Israeli university research (Ben-Gurion University)Artificial intelligence resilience and security researchSTEM research labs and infrastructure at universitiesProgram support for higher-education research initiatives
Who They Fund
students and scholars (college and high school)teachers in Los Angeles CountyIsraeli community security initiatives and residentsservice members / warriors and their familiesJewish communal organizations and Moishe House participants
About David & Janet Polak Foundation
The David & Janet Polak Foundation’s clearest pattern is its concentration of large grants around Israeli university research, especially work tied to Ben-Gurion University. The single biggest recent award was $800,000 to Americans for Ben-Gurion University Inc. for Israel’s National Artificial Intelligence Resilience Laboratory, followed by additional seven-figure-style support in later years for the same laboratory. That repeated backing suggests a funder that favors sustained, project-specific commitments rather than one-off charity checks. Beyond the AI laboratory, the foundation has supported related university infrastructure and archival work at Ben-Gurion University, including a separate grant for the Ben-Gurion Digital Archives Transformation. Its portfolio also reaches into Jewish community security, education, medical research, and Israeli civic or policy organizations, often through unrestricted support or program-specific funding. Recent grants also include support for a live dance performance, a documentary project on David Ben-Gurion, and scholarships tied to service members and students, showing that the foundation funds both research and mission-aligned cultural or community projects.
What David & Janet Polak Foundation Funds
Artificial intelligence and research infrastructure are central to the foundation’s giving. It awarded $250,000 in 2025 and $800,000 in 2023 to Americans for Ben-Gurion University Inc. for Israel’s National Artificial Intelligence Resilience Laboratory, and $100,000 in 2024 for the Ben-Gurion Digital Archives Transformation - Phase 4. The foundation also funds Jewish community security work. It gave $110,000 in 2025 to the Jewish Federation Council of Greater Los Angeles to expand CSI into Santa Barbara, San Gabriel/Pomona Valleys, Palm Desert and Venture, and $100,000 in 2024 for the Community Emergency Security Fund. Education and scholarship support appear as another thread. In 2025, Friends of the Israel Defense Forces received $100,000 to sponsor 20 IMPACT! scholars. The foundation has also backed broader higher-education and medical-research oriented organizations through unrestricted grants.
How David & Janet Polak Foundation Gives
Typical grant size is modest relative to the largest awards: the 25th percentile is $5,000, the median is $10,000, and the 75th percentile is $42,375. That spread points to a mix of small grants with a narrower set of much larger project awards. The record also shows repeat support to the same recipients across multiple years, especially for Ben-Gurion University-related work and several community/security organizations, which indicates recurring relationships rather than isolated gifts. The foundation uses program-related investments as well as grants, and its active programs include unsolicited general grantmaking and education-focused grantmaking. It also funds individuals.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$2.3M
Total Assets
$70.4M
Total Revenue
$4.8M
Total Expenses
$4.7M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $5K and $42K, with a median of $10K.
25th Percentile
$5K
Median
$10K
75th Percentile
$42K
Geographic Reach
National18 states funded
About 0% of grants go to recipients in CA.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Where David & Janet Polak Foundation Funds
Top 2 recipient countries by grant volume for David & Janet Polak Foundation.
| Rank | Country | Grants | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United StatesDomestic | 241 | $9.4M | 96.4% |
| 2 | Israel |
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